Why Should I Go to Medical School?

March 7, 2013 1 Comment

MedschoolWhy do you want to go to medical school? It’s a question that you’re asked countless times on your path through college and the medical school application cycle. We know how big of a responsibility it can be, trust us. Like most pre-medical students you probably have a response ready- My dad/mom was a doctor, I want to help people, I love science, or I have always wanted to be a doctor.

Well, with a unique spin on that common question, a recent blog post on kevinmd.com listed 5 reasons why you shouldn’t go to medical school. The author is not presenting the discouraging list of reasons that it sounds like, but is merely reflecting on the current realities of embarking on a medical career.

One interesting way to read these reasons is actually in reverse. These are actually five reasons that you SHOULD go to medical school. Yes, you should go to medical school if you have a constant thirst for knowledge! You should go if you are capable of meeting challenges like sifting through bureaucracy and trouble-shooting solutions when treatments aren’t effective. You should be a people-person, both with colleagues and patients. These are all traits that I personally want to emulate as a physician, but also traits that I hope my physician has.

The point that really sticks with me, personally, is the piece about temporarily sacrificing other aspects of your life. I feel like by the time you are applying to medical school, you have already had some experience with putting your friends and family on hold. You have spent many long hours studying during nights and weekends for the MCAT or some overly intense undergraduate class. I can’t even count the number of times that I have had to apologize for not being able to make time for an event due to studying, physician shadowing, volunteering or just trying to be the superwoman that a medical school applicant needs to be.

At this point, now that I have completed my degree and been accepted to medical school, I am soaking up all the time I can with my friends and family, before I crawl back under my studying rock. Are there any things you have had to give up during your pre-med career? What do you anticipate continuing to give up during medical school?

MCAT Prep, MCAT Studying, MD Careers
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  • Neel Patel

    I have made and still making several sacrifices for my dream of getting into medical school and becoming a doctor. Medicine is all about making sacrifices because it is a field of service to people at the expense of our own needs and pleasures. I immigrated to US when I started my college with premed track. It was obvious that I wasn’t going to have full use of all opportunities as other premeds were since I was busy making myself accustom to environment of new country. I am holding full time job, and heavy load of studies. Can’t find enough time for family and friends and sometimes making friends was a thing to ponder over because there was and is no time for it. I know all this sacrifices will even be continued in Med school but at the end of day, it is the feeling of serving someone and see them happy matters most to me. If one isn’t ready to sacrifice no matter how worst situation gets, one cannot become a better doctor. So, I think, one should be ready to dust away craving for pleasures every day before stepping into Medicine because if we seek pleasure over sacrifice, someone will get hurt.